their getting the River between them and the Ene- A. C. my, would look as if they durft not ftand them, 1703. and the latter might be very dangerous to the State; and befides, the Enemies by means of their Magazines would be in a Condition to undertake any thing: Whereas, if we attempt their Lines, fhould they pretend to defend them, we may, with the Affiftance of the Almighty, hope to gain a compleat Victory, the Confequence of which may be of more importance than can be forefeen; and 'fhould they think beft to retire, there is ground to hope we might pufh forward very fuccefsfully, and draw mighty Advantages from it.

6. We confider likewife, that the Enemy being Superior in Italy, and in the Empire, and being out 'number'd no where but here, the Eyes of all the Allies are fix'd upon us, and they will have caufe juftly to blame our Conduct, if we do not do all that is poffible to relieve them, by obliging the Enemy to call back Succours into thefe Parts,which is not to be done but by pushing boldly.

Signed by the Duke of Marlborough:

Generals of the Cha. Rudolph Duke of Wirtemberg.

Danes.

7. Scholten.

Thefe Reasons were oppos'd by the Deputies of But the the States, and the Dutch Generals, who would not Dutch p confent to hazard their Troops in an Action, which, poje that they faid, was at beft very dubious, and which if Design.

attended

A. C. attended with Succefs would yield no farther Advan1703. tage, than to find the Enemy retired into their fortified Towns; whereas, on the contrary, should the French get the Victory, the United Provinces would remain expofed to their Incurfions. Thereupon the Project of Attacking their Lines was laid afide, and the Refolution taken to Befiege Limburgh; Limburg which was accordingly invested on the 10th of the invefied, following Month, by Lieutenant General Brulau, Sept. 10. with 24 Squadrons of Horfe and Dragoons. On the

N. S.

20th the Foot arriv'd, and the Cannon and Ammunition being come to Liege, the Duke of Marlborough follow'd the next Morning, with the Hereditary Prince of Heffe, and a farther Detachment of 15 Squadrons, and 24 Battalions. By this time the Befiegers had made themielves Masters of the lower Town, without Refiftance, and their Batteries being finifh'd on the 25th, they play'd Night and Day And Jur upon the upper Town. By the 27th the Breach was rendred at fo wide, that the Confederates were preparing to give Difcretion, a general Affault; which the French perceiving, Sept. 28. beat a Parly: But all the Conditions they could obN. S.

tain, were, That the Garrifon fhould remain Prifoners of War; that the Officers and Soldiers might keep what was their own, and that the Officers fhould be allowed twelve Waggons to carry their Baggage, provided they deliver'd up one of their Gates, within half an Hour after this Agreement. This being fubmitted to by the Befiegers, and the Garrifon, confifting of 1400 Men, having laid down their Arms, and being march'd out, the Befiegers took Poffeffion of the Place, of which the Duke of Marlborough appointed the Baron of Rechteren to be The Cam- Governor. This Conqueft put an end to the Campaign end-paign in the Netherlands, which must be acknowed in the ledg'd to be very glorious to the Duke of Marlborough, Nether fince, befides the taking of three Important Places, lands. viz. Bonne, Huy and Limburg, he did all that lay in

the Power of an able Commander to engage the Enemy to a decifive Battle: But it seems the French were contented to ftand upon the Defenfive in Flanders, where they were, indeed, Inferior, while their Superiority on the Rhine, and in the Heart of the Empire, gave 'em fignal Advantages.

The

The Emperor having not only refused to confent A. C. to the Neutrality of Ratisbonne, propos'd by the Duke 1703. of Bavaria, but instead of that required the Sovereign Princes and States of Germany, to furnish their Quota's, Affairs of and to enable him to prevent the Milchiefs that Germany. threatned the Empire; Their Deputies at the Diet, who were indeed no better than the Elector of Bavaria's Prifoners, infifted upon their Securities, alledging, that the Imperial Court's Refufal was out of Seafon, and prejudicial to the Authority of the Princes and States of the Empire. The Queen of England, and the States General of the United Provinces, with all the Earneftnefs imaginable, preft that unweildy Lethargick Body, by their Minifters, to take effectual Measures to prevent the fatal Confequences of the Conjunction of the French and Bavarians. But when fome of the Deputies would have taken into present Conuideration the Ways and Means for every Circle to furnish out their Shares of Men, Artillery and Ammunition, for the Army of 120000 Men, which the Diet had the Year before refolv'd to fet on Foot, for the Defence of the Empire, others reply'd, That the Confideration of thefe Things was too late for this Campaign, and too foon for the next.

This fupine Negligence of the Diet, the Cause of The Duke of all the fucceeding Diftractions of the Empire, en- Bavaria's courag'd the Elector of Bavaria, to publifh a Mani- Manifefto, fefto, wherein he complains in the firft Place, 'Against publish'd the Emperor and his Allies, accufing them of Exor. June 1ft bitant Plundering, Extorting Contributions, and N. S. burning his Country, from thence infinuating, that he took up Lawful Arms in his own Defence. He " denies his having had any Defign, (as the Houfe of Auftria gives out) of Joyning with France to attack the Empire: And averrs, That he left the Netherlands, and retir'd to his own Country, meerly to keep himself out of this New War, and to join his • Endeavours with thofe of the Circles of Suabia and Franconia, firmly to establish the Peace obtain'd by the Treaty of Ryfwick. He adds, That the Mini'fters of the Crown of France, having not only by 'Memorials, but verbally reprefented to the Diet at Ratisbonne, and the Circles of the Empire, that their Mafter was difpos'd to keep the Treaty of Ryfwick

6

in

A. C. inviolably, and the Circles in their Anfwers expref1703.fing a like Inclination, he had conformably declar'd

on the fide of France, and entred into a Treaty with that Crown. That he wished that the Imperial Court, when they began the War in Italy for 'the Succeffion to the Spanish Monarchy, had had the Confent of the Empire, at leaft of the Electoral College: As alfo, when they declared against the Dukes of Savoy and Mantua, and against the Elector of Cologn, whofe only Crime was, That he would not be fubfervient to the Defigns of the Houfe of Auftria. That his Electoral Highnefs had Caule fufficient to complain of fuch Proceedings of the Imperial Councel, but fmother'd his Refentments out of Refpect to the Emperor; But when the Circles of Auftria, Suabia and Franconia, without waiting for the Refolutions of the Diet of the Empire, entered into the War, and confequently became unqualified to give an Impartial Vote in the Diet, His Electoral Highnefs finding his Country left naked and expofed, his Enemy grown more formidable, and the Houfe of Bavaria in Danger of 'being oppreffed, he judg'd it high Time, for his own Security, and for the Prefervation of his Country, to poffefs himself of fame advantageous Pofts, particularly Ulm and Memmingen, to prevent being crush'd by the Monarchical Administration, till now unheard of in the Empire. This Manifefto was prefented to the Diet at Ratisbonne, by the Bavarian Minifter, with another Writing, importing, "That the Elector would think himself no longer oblig'd to evacuate that Town, tho' the Emperor's Ratification of the Refolve of the Diet for a Neutrality, fhould be ratified by His Imperial Majefty, However, he affur'd the Publick Minifters reliding there, That they should enjoy all Freedom and Se curity in the faid Place, with which Affurance hẹ hop'd they would reft contented, and demand nothing further.

After feveral Confultations between the Elector of Bavaria,and the Marefchal de Villars,it was agreed that the French General fhould continue near the Da nube, to obferve the Motions of the Prince of Baden, who had been join'd by Count Styrum; And that the

Elector's

Elector's Forces fhould invade the Country of Tyrol, A. C. in Order to open a Communication with the French 1703: Army in Italy; and shut up the ufual Paffages, where- n by Succours were fent to the Imperial Army in Lombardy. On the other hand, Count Solari, who commanded in Paffau, having left 1000 Men only in that City, march'd with the reft of the Imperial Forces to joyn Count Schlick near Brangu, in Order to obferve the Bavarian Army, and the Franconians, headed by the Markgrave of Bareith, fell again into the Upper-Palatinate, plunder'd Lauterboffen, and once more block'd up the Caftle of Rottenberg, All these were thought prevailing Motives to deter the Elector of Bavaria from his Defign upon Tyrol, but nevertheless, His Highness bent his March that way, and his Progreffes were fo rapid, that they amazed all Germany, and alarm'd the Court of Vienna: For in fix Days he fubdued that large Country, and made himfelf Master of such strong Holds, as were fufficient to stop a numerous Army, as many Months, had they been in fuch Pofture of Defence as Towns of that Importance required. 'Tis true, that Kuffetein, a Poft in the Broders of Tyrol, fell into the Elector's Hands by an Accidental Fire, which feizing on two Towers full of Gun-Powder, and thefe blowing up part of a Baftion along with them, gave His Highnefs a favourable Opportunity to ftorm the Place: Whereupon the Governor, and part of the Garrifon, betook themfelves to a fpeedy Retreat, and the reft were made Prifoners. But then, the two late perceiv'd Inconveniencies, which occafion'd that Accident, ought to have been remov'd before the Approach of the Enemy, and a Fortrefs of that Importance, fhould have been entrusted to the Cuftody of an Experienc'd and Couragious Commander. After this, Wirgel, and the ftrong Fort of Rottemberg furrendred to the Victor, who from thence proceeded to Hall, and afterwards made a Triumphat Entry into Infpruck, the Capital City of Tyrol, from which he demanded Homage, and a Monthly Contribution of 120000 Florins, befides a great Quantity of Ammunition and Provifions. Nor did His Electoral Highness give over here his Military Achievements; but, at the fame time, fent feveral Detachments to make himfelf Mafter of the Remaining Pofts upon thofe Frontiers. One Party

was